For the first time since 2016, a team from the NBA has lost a game to a team that does not belong to the world’s best basketball league.
The Phoenix Suns provided this entry in the history books that they would have gladly done without. In their own arena, Chris Paul, Devin Booker & Co. lost out to the Adelaide 36ers from Australia with 124:134. The last time Real Madrid with the young Luka Doncic won 142-137 after overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder was in 2016.
In their first home game of the new season at the Footprint Center, the Suns were no match for the dream-hitting 36ers despite the Stars getting 22 minutes each.
Adelaide converted 24 of their 43 three-point attempts. It should be noted that the three-point line in Australia is marked much closer to the basket than in the NBA. Craig Randall (35 points, nine threes) and Robert Franks (32, six) combined for 67 points and 15 successful throws “from downtown” for the 36ers.
Williams criticises lack of respect
“We didn’t give them the respect they deserved as a professional team,” Suns head coach Monty Williams chided after the siren. “It’s a great learning opportunity for us.”
Cameron Payne (23), Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton (22 each) were the Suns’ best scorers, for whom Booker stuck at 13 points and CP3 handed out 12 assists. In this he was outdone by Adelaide’s string-puller Mitch McCarron, who collected 16 assists.